Character names (and links)

If you've been researching agents and publishing houses long enough, you know that July is generally a down month - in fact, many agents are closed to submissions in order to catch up, go on vacation, etc. So it's a perfect time to start a new WIP, right??!! But first you need some characters...

Recently I read a couple of blog posts about naming characters. One blogger admitted that when she reread an old ms, she realized two of her current WIPs characters had the same names (and she didn't remember it!). Another one said that they visualized their character first and then attributed the proper name.

Christy and I have both been teachers for quite a while, so we have access to LOTs of current and trendy names (over the past 10+ years). The problem is, though, sometimes we have certain attributes to those names. Like all the [insert name here]'s we've ever had have been brats. Or our favorite student was [insert name here] and we wouldn't want their mom to think we've named a mean/morally questionable/teenage character after their prescious daughter/son. So, there's goods and bads with being privy to a lot of names.

My current WIPs main character is Kaleb. It's a name I liked and as soon as I came up with the premise of the book, I knew that was his name. I never even remembered that several years ago, I had a preschooler with that same name and spelling until this summer when he was on my son's baseball team (they're not in the same grade). Now, he is a kid I really liked and still do, but I didn't name my character after him. So I'm leaving it for now. (we live in a teensy-tiny town, so if I get published, yes, people will know he's the only kid with that name/spelling around and that yes, I do know him). But I do have a secondary character named Jed - I don't know any Jed's, I don't know if I'll ever know any Jed's, and it's an odd name for this area (maybe every area), but it's not my fault that's what his parents named him and that's his name.

So, I started thinking, why do our characters have certain names? Other than they pop in our head or remind us of someone? I came up with a checklist - feel free to use it if you need some backstory (like I do with Jed, even though it won't go in the book) or if you find yourself recycling the same names and need some new ones.

Where is your story set and what are the popular names in the area and for the year? Mine are set where and when I live, so that's easy. But for the most popular names by state and year, the Social Security Administration is here to help. Click here for help. (and yes, for the place and year I was born, Jason and Jennifer were the most popular. Erica was #83 and there were 72 of us that year! Cool, huh?) A little warning here - you might not want to use the most popular current names - suddenly there's 50 books being submitted to agents all with the same mc and you want yours to stand out!

Does your character have a trait that you want to capitalize on? You could find a name that means something important to your character or story line at this link. For example, a character dying of cancer could have a name meaning "warrior" - no one needs to know it but you, but it perfectly fits the struggle your character faces.

Can your readers identify with and pronounce the names? I think this one is especially important in fantasy - sometimes I have real difficulty keeping the names apart because I'm not sure of the pronunciation. But it can also be in contemporary if it's a strange spelling and it catches my eye for page after page after page. Also I once crit'd an ms with an unusual character name and several times the author herself misspelled it, yikes!

Will your readers be able to keep track of the different characters. Don't have too many similar names - if your YA book set at a high school featuring a group of friends all named Kerry, Karissa, Kiersten, and Kristen, you better give them enough personality traits that we can tell them apart! (it works in funny 80s and 90s teen movies, not in books) click here for more explanation of this trap

How do you feel about nicknames? If your mc has a longer name, their close friends and family will probably give them a nickname - at the very least shortening Jacob to Jake. Or they could have an entirely different nickname - like shortening (longening?) Jacob to Jellybean. Think how the name can influence the nickname.

Does the name reflect their inner character? If you have a down-to-earth, rural, intellectual, very serious character named "Jewel", you'd better be prepared to answer why! (not that anyone named Jewel is not those things, it's just a stigma a lot of readers would have about unusual names and as the writer, you need to convince them why it works)

Here are a few miscellaneous links regarding character names:

Some ideas from Jody Hedlund (I swear I didn't copy this blog post - I found it after I wrote everything above!)

A printable worksheet to keep track of your characters

Another good checklist (that I swear I didn't copy and just found! I especially like the tip at the end about not constantly switching between different nicknames)

Let us know if there's any good tips or links you have in the comments. And don't forget to get WIPing!

Christy's Babbling at You Again

A few things for you on this Monday. (Minus the recipe. No Mealtime Madness today.)

I wrote my first story beginnings when I was a little girl. As I approached the end of my elementary years and headed off to middle school, I stuck with my stories for a while longer, but never wrote past the middle. I completed my first novel at 116,000 words when I was 33years old. That was one year ago. Since then I've rewritten the beginning beyond a laugable amount of times and the entire thing once, not including the additional edits along the way. I'm also 60 percent done with a second novel with ideas ready to take off for a third.

My point?

I've learned a few things.

And want to celebrate by sharing them with you. Of course, you're probably the ones who taught them to me in the first place. So maybe what I'm saying is THANK YOU!

*The best writers out there 1) read A LOT. 2) write EVEN MORE.

And they don't just write the scenes in their manuscript, but also the writerly thoughts that surge through their brain all day long. TRY IT! While out walking, what do you notice? Do the leaves on the weeds seem to be waving at you? Do solitary leaves do somersaults on the pavement as the breeze breathes life into them? Do trees bow down as your car drives beneath them? Do the crowds of trees that encircle you while treading water appear to be seated on bleachers around the stadium lake? Does a conversation at the table next to yours at the cafe strike you as note-worthy? Does the perfect color word for the sun setting on the horizon pop into your mind? YES? WRITE IT ALL DOWN!

You never know when one of those amazing thoughts might come in handy in a manuscript. Even if they don't. Write them down anyways!

*The best writers out there pay attention to what they read.

What makes the book you are reading memorable? Why do you keep turning the pages? What endears you to the characters? What dialogue makes you giggle? What dialogue makes you go "Awwwwww!" What dialogue makes you weep? WHY? What endings fall flat?

MAKE NOTE OF THESE THINGS. Why? So you can do it, too! (Or not.)

*When you're ready to be a serious writer, you need to take yourself seriously as a writer.

Make time to do it. NO. Set up time to do it. STICK TO IT. My husband continually refers to my writing as a hobby, and I don't know what it is about that term, but it aggravates me. I've given up arguing. No, I'm not making money. Yes, I'm a long way from finding an agent and an even longer way from signing books at the local Barnes and Noble. So, even though I might be the only one who realizes that I'm serious about being a writer, deep down, I have to believe it.

One of the things I'm doing now that I'm beginning to take myself seriously as a writer (I'm not there yet. I have a few doubts and insecurities left to tackle and discard.) is reading my very first WRITING book. So far, I love it. I think it was a great first choice. I got it for like 3 bucks on my kindle. Plot and Structure-Write Great Fiction by James Scott Bell. Bell suggests to take yourself seriously as a writer and to start out 1)buy yourself a mug that says 'Writer' and 2)set a daily word goal (NOT time goal). I'm working on both of his suggestions.

*Taking notes on kindle is an amazing feature that I love.

I've been rereading parts of The Sky is Everywhere to 'highlight' (underline) the imagery, dialogue and other quotable writing I find. I also highlight while I read Bell's book. THE BEST PART IS: the kindle stores the stuff I've highlighted in a separate spot so I can view ONLY the text I've wanted to remember. It separates each quote and makes note of the page numbers. LOVE IT!

*Having multiple readers/crit partners/beta readers is invaluable.

Everyone has different taste. Whether it's clothes or movies or food or jokes. This is no different in the reading/writing world. Your writing may not click with one person while another may want to devour every word you scribble. Why is this? Style. Genre. Word choice. Beliefs. Etc. People get second opinions from doctors. We need them before putting our writing under the knife also. Not only should you not take EVERY piece of advice a critiquer offers, but you should weigh several opinions and think on them before making hasty changes.

Recently I posted my first page here. (Okay, more than just recently. Just scroll down one post!) I DID post revisions. In the past, my posting revisions was a hasty move on my part due to embarrassment and uncertainty. If someone didn't like something I panicked and my cheeks burned and my heart sank. This time, I only felt gratitude. I really thought about the suggestions from commenters and was able to do so objectively. (See how much I've grown! LOL!) I made changes. YES. Many. BUT it was because I knew my words needed something and all the wonderful commenters gave me that something. I only changed what I knew needed to be. Because I wanted to, not just because somebody told me to.

Find yourself mutliple critique partners. I am a firm believer that this is hugely important and will benefit your writing.

Share your favorite lesson you've learned since beginning on your journey as a writer. I'd love to hear it!

shelley watter's first page critique and contest

This is version #2,095,003 of the first page of Solstice.  Please help me out by critiquing it.  Don't worry, I can take your honest opinions and would love feedback and advice.  I don't mind writing version #2,095,004 one bit.  Whatever works.  Thanks in advance!

Please go here to visit Shelley's Blog to find the links to all the other entries!

Title:  Solstice
Genre:  YA Paranormal Romance
Word Count:  65,000

(Original version.  After some great feedback, I tried to apply some of the advice by making revisions. Please see below.   The only thing I was unable to do was cure the excerpt of wordiness.  In fact, I may have made it worse.)

        Deep down I knew this was a bad idea.  If I chickened out, though, it would bug me all day, maybe longer.  So here I sat on a bed of dry, crunchy leaves with my back against one of the many tall oak trees in Haven Forest.  Early morning sunlight streamed through the trees and the mist, making the forest look eerier than normal.  The journal I’d sneaked from my great-grandma’s old trunk lay unopened in my hands.  Staring at it didn’t help.  If it had an invisible clasp, it didn’t flip open magically.  That would have been too easy. 

            Sure, I’d sneaked peeks at it over the years, but nothing I’d ever tried had opened it.  Giving up wasn’t an option.  Its mystery intrigued me.  That, and the whispered stories I’d overhead my dad and aunt share, years before, that taunted me, and reassured me that there was a story for me to read within it.  One thing I’d heard my dad say ran through my mind:  “Grandma Mari’s story is meant to be sealed.  When it becomes necessary for it to be opened, one of us will know how to do it.  Only then will our history be known.”  Something had quivered through me with those words, and I’d known who that one would be.  Me. 

            That was the first time my intuition had spoken to me, using a type of sign language on my skin with its icy fingers.(Revised Version) (A third below)

          Deep down I knew this was a bad idea.  Yet here I sat on a bed of dry, crunchy leaves with my back against one of the many oak trees in Haven Forest.  Early morning sunlight streamed through the trees and the mist, making the forest look eerier than normal.  The journal I’d sneaked from my great-grandma’s old trunk lay unopened in my hands.  Its binding was seamless and without a clasp or lock.  Staring at it didn’t help.  Willing it to open wouldn’t do the trick.

            Sure, I’d sneaked peeks at it over the years, but nothing I’d ever tried had opened it.  Giving up wasn’t an option.  Its mystery intrigued me.  Over time the desire to get in the journal grew, like a spark catching on dry fabric, the heat in the pit of my stomach a stark contrast to the shivers running down my back as I held the cool metal-bound book. 

            The whispered stories my dad and aunt had shared years before taunted me, reassuring me that there was a story within its hidden pages. One thing I’d heard my dad say ran through my mind:  “Grandma Mari’s story is meant to be sealed.  When it’s necessary for it to be opened, one of us will know how to do it.  Only then will our history be known.”  As soon as I heard those words, shivers quivered through me.  And I’d known who that one would be.  Me.

            That was the first time my intuition had spoken to me, using a type of sign language on my skin with its icy fingers.

You are all amazing.  Thanks so much for your help!  (Revised Version) (I may have taken the changes too far....)

          Deep down I knew this was a bad idea. Here I sat on a bed of dry, crunchy leaves with my back against one of the oak trees in Haven Forest.  Pale morning sunlight streamed through the trees and the mist, making the forest look eerier than normal. The metal-bound journal I’d sneaked from my great-grandma’s old trunk lay unopened in my hands. Its binding was seamless and without a clasp or lock. Staring at it, willing it to open, did no good.

             Nothing I’d ever tried had opened it. Giving up had never been an option, for no reason other than its mystery intrigued me. Recently, however, my desire to get in the journal flared, like a spark catching on paper, the heat in the pit of my stomach in stark contrast to the shivers running down my back chill in the air as I examined every corner of the book.

            My parents never talked about Great-Grandma Mari or the items in her trunk, skirting questions the few times I'd asked. The secrets taunted me though everyone else seemed able to ignore them.

             Whispered conversations between my dad and aunt, years before, had reassured me that there was a story within its hidden pages. “Grandma Mari sealed her story," my dad had said. "When necessary, one of us will know how to open it. Only then will our true history be known.” As soon as I heard those words, shivers quivered through me. And I’d known who that one would be. Me.

            That was the first time my intuition had spoken to me, using a type of sign language on my skin with its icy fingers.

and...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST BLOG PARTNER IN THE UNIVERSE!  HAVE A GREAT DAY, ERICA!

summer giveaway #2!

SUMMER GIVEAWAYS @ erica and christy's!!!!

Prize Package #1
Across the Universe by Beth Revis


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Forever by Maggie Stiefvater


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Dead Rules by Randy Russel


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 John Grisham novels-  Playing for Pizza, The Street Lawyer
+Bonus Legal Thriller by Richard Patterson North Degree of Guilt


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Emilie Richards novels (mystery)-A Lie for A Lie, Beware False Prophets, Let There Be Suspects


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Are you worth quoting?

Through meeting some published (self- and traditionally) authors, I've come to know the word "swag". Through reading blog posts about writers and agents who go to large conferences, I know that a TON of authors have it and hand it out to spread the word about their books.

SWAG = free stuff = book marks, pins, trinkets, etc. (and btw, most swag is paid for by the authors themselves. if anyone's interested in hiring a graphic artist to do swag for them, I know a great one and let me know if you want his contact info.)

Most of the swag I've seen is focused on the book cover. But some of it (especially pins, I've noticed), have quotes from the book on them. Maybe a snippet of dialogue. Maybe the logline. Something that could only have come from that one book. (after all, everyone knows "May the force be with you." right?)

Which led both of us to wonder - are we quoteable? Is there something in our books that leaps out to readers and connects with them enough for them to want to wear it as a pin? Or highlight it on their kindle? Or write it down or memorize it or tell their friends?

What kind of line would make you want to remember it forever? Or do you have some you'd like to share (from your own book or anyone elses?)?